Theresa May set to insist web firms stop allowing online abuse of women

At the G7 summit in Canada, the Prime Minister will call on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to identify and remove sick messages

By Tom Newton Dunn, Political Editor, in Quebec

7th June 2018, 10:30 pm

Updated: 7th June 2018, 10:39 pm

THERESA May will insist internet giants must stop hosting the online abuse and harassment of millions of women.

At the G7 summit in Canada, the PM will call on other world leaders to help her force social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter tackle the spiralling scourge of violent and misogynistic messages.

Theresa May has a full G7 agenda, with plans to cover the abuse of women on social media, US steel tariffs and education for girls in the third world

Her new drive comes after Amnesty International UK found that one in five of all women have suffered from online abuse.

And a quarter of all girls aged between 11 and 21 have been subjected to cyber-bullying.

In what will be a stormy two day meeting in Quebec, Mrs May will also join forces with five other world bosses to confront US President Donald Trump on his new steel tariffs in a bid to overt a new trade war.

Mrs May will insist internet companies use their cutting edge technology such as algorithms to identify and remove sick messaging.

Mrs May will call on other leaders to join the UK in forcing social media giants such as Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook to deal firmly with abusers

She will say: “We know that technology plays a crucial part in advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls, but these benefits are being undermined by vile forms of online violence, abuse and harassment.

“What is illegal offline is illegal online and I am calling on world leaders to take serious action to deal with this, just like we are doing in the UK with our commitment to legislate on online harms such as cyber-stalking and harassment."

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says social media regulation is inevitable as US Congress grill him over data misuse

The PM also wants action on violent pornography on the internet, which is often comes as a result of slave trafficking of women.

Mrs May will also give grudging praise to the social media giants for finally tackling the scandal of terror recruiting and radicalising material that they host.